1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal transponder, and more particularly to a signal transponder transceiving signals using different wireless communication protocols for tire pressure monitoring.
2. Description of the Related Art
Current wireless tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) provides a tire pressure sensor to each of the tires of a vehicle. After each tire pressure sensor detects a tire pressure of a corresponding tire and wirelessly transmits the detected signal to a tire pressure receiver inside the vehicle, the tire pressure receiver wirelessly receives the detected signals of all tire pressure sensors to determine if the tire pressure of each tire is normal. If the detected signal of any tire pressure sensor is abnormal, the tire pressure receiver then generates a sound alert or a visual alert to prompt users for abnormal tire pressure condition.
As the tire pressure sensors and the tire pressure receiver need to have an identical communication protocol for the tire pressure signals to be successfully transmitted and received between each tire pressure sensor and the tire pressure receiver, the tire pressure detected by each tire pressure sensor is encoded according to a configured communication protocol and the tire pressure receiver decodes the encoded tire pressure value according to the configured communication protocol after wirelessly receiving the encoded tire pressure signal. Should any tire pressure sensor or the tire pressure receiver is faulty, the faulty tire pressure sensor or the tire pressure receiver should be replaced with a good counterpart having the same communication protocol therein to ensure continuous operation. However, if the tire pressure sensor or the tire pressure receiver with the same model number is out of stock or is no longer supplied, using the tire pressure sensor or the tire pressure receiver having different communication protocol may cause failure in decoding the tire pressure signals. Entire TPMS may have to be replaced sometimes and operational inconvenience and cost increase is caused accordingly.